Hi Everyone, I am visiting Cyprus in a few weeks and wanted to hire a 4x4 to get off the beaten track and see a little more of the islands beauty but every hire firm renting 4x4s says that their insurance does not cover unsurfaced/unfinished roads and does not cover off road driving. Does anyone know a hire company that does. I don't plan on doing extreme rock climbing or mud plugging I just want to visit some out of the way places. Many thanks. Paul.

muddy90 wrote:Hi Everyone, I am visiting Cyprus in a few weeks and wanted to hire a 4x4 to get off the beaten track and see a little more of the islands beauty but every hire firm renting 4x4s says that their insurance does not cover unsurfaced/unfinished roads and does not cover off road driving. Does anyone know a hire company that does. I don't plan on doing extreme rock climbing or mud plugging I just want to visit some out of the way places. Many thanks. Paul.

Hi Muddy and welcome to CF...

Have hired 4x4s a few times for the hols and the standard contract does refer to no off-tarmac roads as you describe above cos it's the same contract as per saloon cars. Suggest make a phone-call to your car-hire firm and describe what you want to do and insist they waive the clause. After all you are paying pretty serious money for 4x4 hire.

They're over in Paphos and Polis, but they will deliver to LCA. Older cars but pretty decent prices. Used them a few times. Had a reasonably capable Grand Vitara a couple of times for travels on my own, has the proper 2nd manual 4X4 shift, and a Renault Scenic and the Honda HRV with always on 4x4 a couple of times for travels with the family on other occasions.

Never did anything remotely outrageous with them, more dirt-track driving than off-roading so the insurance wasn't really an issue, but these 4x4s do help with getting up kerbs for CY pavement parking.

Think one year may hire what is called the CY Rolls-Royce which is a Toyota Double Cabin, or the Hilux .... and they're pretty good hire value.

Yeh tried that Fontana place spoke to Stathis and he said he hasn't got a 4x4 anytime in October. I only want it for dirt tracks but as soon as you mention going on an unsurfaced road they don't want to know even though they they advertise them as " ideal to get to hidden coves and sights"And just a note to support the under dog its "Illegitimis non carborundum" for the true latin spelling.

muddy90 wrote:Yeh tried that Fontana place spoke to Stathis and he said he hasn't got a 4x4 anytime in October. I only want it for dirt tracks but as soon as you mention going on an unsurfaced road they don't want to know even though they they advertise them as " ideal to get to hidden coves and sights"And just a note to support the under dog its "Illegitimis non carborundum" for the true latin spelling.

Muddy, to be frank. wouldn't even mention dirt tracks to the hire company... this clause in the contract is a loada pollocks cos normal driving in CY (in my experience) involves dirt-tracks. To give you the most ridiculous example, some years ago hired a house in a newish development... the roads in the dev were made up and finished but there was a gap of about 50 yards between the main road and the development, which was a dirt-track!

Another company for value... try Economy Car Rental, a larger company, who do Daihatsu Terios, Susuki Grand V, Nissan X Trail etc etc which may be suitable for you. Looking at their site just under 40GB£ a day.